New to the block
by Phantom-Cosplayer
Summary: Emiko Mari is living life on the straight and narrow after finally gaining the stability in her life that she's always strived for. Unfortunately her order and routine lifestyle is short lived due to her meeting the orange haired Kurosaki boy and being thrown into someone else's war. From the moment they meet her life seems to be skewed towards him and she just can't figure out why
1. Meeting the Kurosakis

"Goooooood Morniiiiiiiiing Ichiiiiiiiiigoooooooo!" Keigo screamed as he bolted down the hallway of Karakura High School. Ichigo ignored his calling and continued on his way to his classroom. When he neared, Ichigo stuck out an arm, Keigo meeting it and smashing his face into Ichigo's fist.

"Morning Keigo."

"Ow my face! Ichigo why are you so mean to me?!" He asked crying comical crocodile tears and rubbing his nose.

Kurosaki ignored him and walked into his classroom sitting in his desk awaiting the start of class. He slouched in his chair until his teacher walked in.

"Good morning class, I'd like to welcome you all back after vacation. I hope you all had a great break and came back rejuvenated and ready to learn. I also hope you all did your homework. As I know most of you won't have, it's not due until next week. But I want quality work. No last minute stuff. And lastly we have a new student joining us today. I'd like you all to make them feel very welcome and no funny business." she said glaring in the direction of the juvenile delinquents.

"You can come in now." The teacher called to the door. A hundred and twenty pound girl standing five foot eight with a pair of C cups walked into the room. She had a round face with big eyes that matched the colour of a pond with blue green algae in bloom. She had a large pair of lips of a deep red shade, Cupid's bow, the ones evey girl dreamed of.

Everyone starred at her. She twirled a piece of her blond and creamy brown hair around her index finger and bit her bottom lip. The new girl walked to the side if the teachers desk and faced the class.

"Hi everyone. I'm Mari Emiko. You can just call me Emiko if it's easier." She smiled at the class and then looked to her teacher.

"Good. Now would you like to tell us a bit about yourself."

"Okay. Well I just moved here from Tokyo and I just got a job at Urahara's Shop. I work most days after school and some weekends. Hmm there isn't really much else about me I can think of that's worth mentioning. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Are you mixed blood?" One girl asked.

"Is that, your natural hair colour?" Another asked

Emiko put her hands up to silence the questions. "Yeah, I'm a mixed blood. My mother was Japanese and moved to the United States. She met my father and they were married after four years of living together. They moved back here to get married and we've been traveling ever since. And yes, this is my natural hair colour. It's the same as most of the women on my father's side."

"Can you speak English as well as Japanese."

"I speak fluent Japanese and I'm okay with English. I usually have to brush up on it when we travel overseas."

"Do you want to hang out at lunch?" Keigo asked her with a cheesy grin.

"I don't have any other plans. I can't see why not." She said with a smile. There were no other questions so her teacher asked her to sit down and she started teaching.

* * *

"Soooo new girl."

"Keigo, you know my name if you want me to eat lunch with you you'd better start calling me by it." Emiko said sipping from her juice box not even turning to look at him. He nodded and she turned her attention to the other members of the group coming up the stairs.

"Well what do you know, Keigo can make friends." A black haired boy with brown eyes said sitting down opposite her.

"Hi." She said. "My name's"

"Mari Emiko, we know." Another black haired boy said sitting down, this one had glasses. Emiko bit her bottom lip nervously. "Well it's nice to meet all of you."

"It's nice meeting you too." Said a taller orange haired boy. He gave her a brief smile and sat down next to her. "You'll have to excuse these guys and their poor social skills. Mizuiro here," he said pointing to the black haired boy across from her. "Is depressed about not scoring with the girls lately, so he'll probably try hitting on you later. You have to watch him, he's a real player. And the grumpy one with the glasses is Uryuu. He's always like this but he's not too bad when you get to know him. Lasty you have my best friend Chad. I've know him since middle school. You've met Keigo, he seemed to just become one of this group one day. Kinda weird but I guess you already know that."

"Ichigo! That's not fair! I have been your best friend since we met on our first day of high school."

"If I recall you thought he and Chad were nothing but delinquents and were terrified of them until they saved your ass." Mizuiro said eating his bento.

Emiko giggled. "Why am I not surprised."

"Awww come on guys, quit cock blocking me!" Keigo whined.

"You do enough of that yourself Keigo. Anyway, I'm not interested in dating you." She said playfully but still rather harshly.

"Then what are you still doing here?"

"Well I'm just chilling with my new best buddies. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I uuh. I have every right to be here. You're just the new kid." It was all fun and games till he said that.

"**That's not my name. My name is Mari Emiko and I expect you to use my name when you address me." **She said in a deep and terrifying voice. Keigo scrambled away and behind Chad.

"So Ichigo, what subject do you have next?" Emiko said like nothing happened.

"Um Media, I think." Ichigo replied taking a sip of his juice box.

"Agh, I think I have art. I don't know anyone in that class."

"I think that's Inoue-san's class."

"Uhh who?" Emiko didn't think she had met an Inoue.

"Oh! That's right. You haven't met anyone from our group." Keigo said slapping himself in the face.

"Uryuu-san could you introduce me?" Emiko asked standing up and looking at him expectantly.

"I suppose I could."

* * *

"Alright, time to spill. I can tell something is up just by the way you said her name. You like Inoue don't you?" Emiko demanded.

Uryuu choked on his juice box. "What?!"

"No use trying to hide it. Somethings going on and I know it."

"How would you even know? You've only been here for half a day." He replied.

"Because. anyway I'm a girl. We just know things. Now tell me, what's going on?" She said with a light smile. "It's alright. I'm not going to run round telling everyone. We're not in Preschool anymore."

He sighed. "Ah! I knew it." Emiko was bursting with excitement. "So, have you told her? Have you asked her out?"

"No. She seems to like Kurosaki."

"Is that the big guy?"

"No, that's Chad. Kurosaki is the one with the orange hair."

"Oh, you mean Ichigo. He's a sweetie. Now here's what we'll do. You introduce me and I'll devise a plan in art class. Easy as pie. The good guy always get's the girl."

"By saying that you're implying Kurosaki is the bad guy."

"I don't think he is but you're the knight and she's the princess. He's the other suitor so I guess I was but what I mean is you'll have to duel for her affection. Not literally though."

"I suppose but I think Kurosaki likes Rukia-san anyway."

"Oh."

"Oh? Do you like Kurosaki?"

"I don't know. I think he's good looking and he's a nice guy but I don't really know him. I'd like to be friends with him I think. Yeah, friends sounds good."

"Sounds good until you realize you like him."

"I have literally been here for like a day, I dint think I'm in any position to decided if I like anyone." I replied and he nodded.

* * *

"Inoue-san"

"Uryuu-kun!" A busty orange haired girl called affectionately from the grass under a tree. She waved him down and he sat in front of her, leaving Emiko standing around like a mule.

"Inoue-san, this," he gestured behind him. "Is Mari Emiko and she'll be in your art class next."

"Ooh cool. Are you.." Orihime was cut off by Mari's short temper.

"New yes."

"Oooh do you want to come to Tatsuki's house with me after school and we'll have a tea party!"

"Inoue, I don't think Tatsuki-san is really the tea party type." Uryuu pointed out.

"What's this I hear about tea parties?" An average height girl with short and spikey hair that came down to the length of her shoulders.

"Aahh Tatsuki-san you've had a haircut." Uryuu commented.

"Yes, I kind of liked the long hair but it didn't really suit me."

"It looked nice when it was short." Orihime commented.

"Maybe some new bangs." Emiko pondered aloud.

"Hey that's a pretty good idea." Tatsuki agreed.

* * *

"Hey Emiko, how did art class go?" An orange tuft of hair said from behind a row of lockers.

"You remembered." She commented sitting beside him to change her shoes.

"Yeah." He said not really knowing what to reply.

"It was great. How was media?"

"Not too bad actually."

"That's good." She mused.

Ichigo stood up and took his bag, throwing it over one shoulder. He offered her a hand and Emiko took it sanding up and sliding her back pack on over her shoulder.

"Are you walking home?" He asked reluctantly letting go of her hand.

"Um usually yes but er Orihime asked me over to I think Tatsuki's house."

"Oh, I know where that is, she lives quite near me. On my street, actually."

"Neat."

* * *

"Kurosaki-kun!"

"Hey Ichigo!"

Orihime and Tatsuki called from the school gates.

"Mari-san, we've been waiting for you." Orihime stated.

"Thanks." Emiko replied unsure of what Orihime wanted to achieve with that statement.

* * *

"Never again." Emiko said looking green.

"Agreed." Ichigo replied.

"How did you get roped into this?" She asked, some colour returning to her face.

"I was being a gentleman walking you ladies to Tatsuki's house." He justified.

"Then of course it seemed like a fabulous idea to walk Orihime home." She shook her head in dismay.

"And stay for some tea." He shuddered.

"Can that be classed as tea?" Emiko asked turning slightly green again.

"Let's not talk about anymore."

"Agreed."

They continued their trek down the straight cobbled road after crossing the river by the bridge.

"So.." Ichigo broke the silence.

"Yeah. You're from around here aren't you?" Emiko asked removing the situation's awkwardness.

"Born here almost never left." He agreed.

"Almost huh? So which middle school did you go to?" She questioned.

"Mashiba Middle School."

"I went there for a while."

"What?" Ichigo asked in astonishment.

"Don't act so surprised Ichigo. I may be a lady but I can sure take care of myself."

"You sure can, I suppose I should've figured that out after you threatened Keigo earlier." He put his arms behind his head whilst carrying his book bag over his shoulder.

Emiko carried hers over her shoulder by one strap. "That's not all I can do." She giggled.

"Well, I guess this is my house."

"You're kidding."

"No, this really is my house."

"You see that house over there." Emiko pointed to the left. "Two houses over from your house is mine."

"Small world."

"Iiiiiiiichiiiigooooooo!" Their attention turned to the sound of breaking glass and a man in his early forties coming towards them through the window.

"Ahh!" Emiko said in a deep squeak stepping behind Ichigo and hiding. With a swift kick to the face the black haired old man was on the ground and groaning.

The man hopped up off the ground moments later and proceeded to get into a scuffle with the orange haired teen. "You're late to dinner!" He yelled. "Hey." He stopped. "Who's your beautiful, young lady friend Ichigo?"

"Oh no." Ichigo replied and seconds later was thrown out of the way.

"Helllooooo there. I am Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's wildly handsome father." he bellowed shaking her hand vigorously.

"Ni-ice to meet you." she said awkwardly, being shaken up and down with the handshake. "My name is Mari Emiko."

"Mari huh." He said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "Well I simply insist you stay for dinner." and Isshin proceeded to shove her inside the house.

Emiko was barely able to kick off her shoes at he door as she was being dragged inside.

"Welcome home Ichigo, who's your friend?"

"Dad, put her down."

Came the voices of two young girls. The first was a sweet and motherly sounding one, which she assumed came from the young blonde girl dressed in an ironed collared shirt with flowers and a pink, frilly apron. The other voice was deeper but still feminine and angrier sounding. The other girl from which the voice came was dressed in a black shirt with three quarter length sleeves and black leggings under a brown plaid skirt.

"Hi nice to meet you, Mari Emiko." she said being shoved into the kitchen. Shortly behind her was Ichigo walking at a leisurely pace after putting their bags down at the foot of the stairs and taking off his shoes at the door.

Isshin let go of Emiko and Ichigo booted him in the head. "Now no fighting boys." the blonde girl lectured. "It's very nice to meet you Emiko-san, I'm Kurosaki Yuzu and this is Kurosaki Karin my non identical twin sister."

"Yuzu-chan, you can just call me Em-chan. I-if you like that is." she said almost nervously.

"Em-chan it is. Ichi nii, go and get another chair from the clinic, Em-chan you can have Ichigo's chair."

"Oh no, I don't want to be any trouble." she replied.

"It's okay, Ichigo doesn't mind." Yuzu assured her as Ichigo walked out of the room muttering something incomprehensible.

"Sorry Ichigo." Emiko said calling after him and running him down the hallway after him.

"Ahh it's nothing. My family is like this all the time."

"At least you're always together. That's nice."

"Well yeah I suppose so if you factor out my old mule.. I mean old man being a bag of nuts."

"Ichigo, I know you care. I know this will ruin the light mood but you need to understand your father loves you. He may be fifty shades of crazy but he's always been there and you need to spend as much time with the people you love before you lose them. You never know when that time will come. Heck, they might lose you fist. Family and friends have to come first. The people you love, Ichigo. Very important. Now go get that chair." Emiko lectured with a half smile and then walked out back into the kitchen.

"So Yuzu, what's cooking?"

* * *

"So Emiko, are you staying the night?" Isshin asked expectantly.

"Um, probably not." she replied awkwardly, feeling very weirded out. "I should probably get home and make sure the house is okay. Oyaji and Kaasan are coming tomorrow afternoon." She explained.

"Aw that's a shame. But I suppose it's great your parents are coming to visit."

"Yes, now I've moved out they drop buy occasionally to make sure I'm doing as expected."

"Ahhh.."

"Anyways, I guess I should get going."

"Need me to walk you home?" Ichigo's deep voice sounded as he suddenly came into the conversation.

"Well I don't need you to." His face fell. "Doesn't mean I don't want you to." She added with a smile to him.

He returned her smile and slipped on some shoes at the front door. Emiko also applied her shoes and walked out the door as he held it open for her.

* * *

"Good night."

"Y-yeah. Goodnight I guess." He stuttered.

"Ichigo, do you have a cell phone?"

"Just got one last year." He replied.

"Give it to me." Emiko ordered waving her hands towards herself in a give me your dang phone sort of way.

"W-ahh?" he asked while she snatched it out of his hands. It was a simple black flip phone with a screen on the top and a screen with a keypad on the other side.

Emiko skimmed through the phone going into his contacts and adding herself to the book. She typed in her number and added a cute smiley face next to her name.

"Here." She gave him his phone back. "You'd better text me soon Kurosaki." She ordered with a smile shaking her phone on front of his face. Her phone was a long oval shaped blue phone with a screen that pushed up to reveal a keypad. "Ttyl." Emiko said with a smile and shut the door in his face.


	2. Reiryoku and Shinigami Impersonators

_*Buzz buzz buzz* _Came the rude early awakening from her phone. Emiko flapped her hand around on the nightstand until she found her phone. She unplugged it from it's charger and pushed it open. "Ahhhh light." She cried.

_'Morning'_ read a text message from an unknown number.

"Better be fucking Ichigo." She said aloud. _'Hey there sunshine :)'_ she replied before putting her head down in the pillow. For gods sake it's still dark outside.

"SENAKA NO KAGE GA NOBIKIRU SONO AIMA NI NIGERU!" Her radio alarm sounded. "HAGARE OCHITA HANE NI MO KIZUKAZU NI TOBU"

"Oh my god no! Not now Asian Kung Fu Generation. Not cool! I'm trying to sleep." Emiko switched it off with one hand and then lay on her pillow for a moment longer.

"Ugh." She groaned and got out of bed. Slowly she dressed in a grey tank top, black track shorts and a matching red stretchy jacket.

She took a water bottle and tied up her creamy blonde and brown hair up in a high pony tail and took her keys and phone, locking the door. She slipped her phone into her armband and plugged in the attached headphones, putting them in her ears. She clicked in the playlist called 'Stamina Training' and commenced running after attaching her keys to her water bottle. She held the keys tightly against her water bottle as she ran along the road so she didn't make a jingling noise.

"Hey there." A masculine voice cut though her music.

"Holy shit!" she cried stopping in her tracks and turning to look where the voice had come from.

"Nope, over here." The male voice said again. Emiko swung round in the other direction. Still nothing.

"I'm over here you fool" it repeated. Glancing around Emiko still could not see anyone. A black cat leapt upon her shoulder.

"Whoa, where did you come from kitty."

"Urahara's shop with a message." It replied.

"Waaah!" She screamed. Trying to compose herself and contain her screech.

"It's usually the males who have a problem with a talking cat." The black cat said aloud.

"So you admit it, you are in fact a talking cat."

"Yes, I'm Shihouin Yoruichi, Urahara would like a word with you before school starts today."

"So instead of giving me a phone call, he sends a talking cat. Very normal." Emiko said ending her reply with sarcasm. "We're going to run." the cat nodded and leapt off her shoulder. Emiko took off starting her run in the opposite direction towards Urahara's shop, past the Kurosaki clinic as the light of day began to reach the world around them.

* * *

"I have high what?" Emiko asked confused.

"Reiryoku. Or Spiritual energy." Urahara's replied. "It came to my attention the minute you stepped into the area and I felt it even more when you walked into the store."

"Right."

"I decided to give you your job in order to keep an eye on you and since then I have been. I have decided that you should learn to control that power. Maybe even harness that power and use it to your own advantage and the advantage of others."

"Sounds pretty sensible. Why are you the one telling me all this?"

"In time my friend. In good time."

"Whatever. So long as this traning doesn't inter fear with my studies, housework, school or time with friends I'm happy."

"I can set up a schedul if you like." Tessai said coming into the room with some tea.

"That'd be pretty great. I think I'd like it to have my work shifts, school and training times on it. Everything else please leave a blank."

"Sure thing, Mari-San."

"Thank you Tessai-San" Emiko replied taking a sip of her tea. She put the cup down and looked at her watch. "HOLY CRAP!" She cried. "It's 6:30"

"Yes, I would believe so." Urahara agreed.

"I have to go." She blurted out after gulping down the rest of her piping hot tea. "Thanks for the tea." She slammed the cup down on the table and ran out of the room. Grabbing her water bottle and keys on the way out, Emiko plugged in her headphones and ran all the way home. She passed the Kurosaki clinic and could hear the yells of the two male residents. With a giggle she unlocked her door and ran inside.

Up the stairs and into the bathroom she stripped off, throwing her clothes into the hamper. She took a quick shower washing off all the sweat with strawberry scented soap and rubbing berry shampoo and conditioner through her hair. Drying off she slipped into her underwear and threw on her uniform running down the stairs with a towel on her head, tie in hand.

Emiko popped some toast in the toaster and tied her red tie into a neat bow around her neck and folded her collar over the top. Wolfing down her toast in lightning speed she gulped down some water and rammed a tooth brush inside her mouth giving it a run around. Emiko spat and rinsed before tearing down the stairs and locking the door.

_'Walk to school together?_' Buzzed in the message from Ichigo.

_'Of course! :)'_ she replied and walked calmly to his front door. She rang the bell and Karin let her in. She side stepped a dive bomb from Isshin and went into the kitchen where she found Ichigo finishing his breakfast.

"Hey there." Emiko announced her entrance to the room.

"Sup." Ichigo replied wiping his face with wrist and taking his plate to the sink.

"Morning Em-chan" Yuzu replied cheerily.

"Good morning Yuzu-chan." Emiko said sweetly.

"Be right back." Ichigo left the room and returned five minutes later smelling of peppermint.

"You four ready to go?" Isshin asked checking his watch. Emiko did the same, "Wow, seven twenty. Will we even have enough time to get to school."

"Are you kidding, we're early." Ichigo replied.

Twirling around the kitchen Yuzu handed Karin and Ichigo their lunches. "For you Em-chan" Yuzu said in a small shy voice handing Emiko a brown paper bag.

"Domo arigatou gozaimasu Yuzu-chan." Emiko said with a slight bow.

"No worries." Yuzu said with an enormous grin and chipper voice.

"Better get going." Isshin reminded.

* * *

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOOORNIIIING IIIIIIIIIIICHIIGOOOOOOOOO!" Keigo yelled from the open window on the top floor of the school. He shut the window and disappeared, moments later he was lovingly running out of the building towards Ichigo. And straight into Ichigo's fist. Keigo went flying to the ground.

"Awwww there, there Keigo. Better luck next time." Emiko reassured him patting his head which had ended up in her lap. She rolled him off the floor and back to his feet before giving him a rough smack on the shoulders.

"Ow." He squeaked.

"Okay well I've got to change my shoes before class. I'll see you guys there, right?"

"Yeah." Ichigo nodded.

"Totally." Keigo said trying to sound smooth.

* * *

"Where are you off to today, huh?" Ichigo stuck his head out from behind his locker and saw Keigo failing miserably at his attempt to flirt with Emiko.

"Hey Ichigo, I've got work today. You?" Emiko smiled at him, now ignoring Keigo.

"Taking my little sister out to play soccer." He smiled in return.

"Oh hey, if Karin likes soccer she should see Ururu and Jinta at the shop. Everyone there loves soccer. They look around her age."

"Might do that, do you like sports?"

"Love 'em." She grinned. "Anyway, I should get going. Don't want to be late."

Emiko walked out of the school gates, waving to Tatsuki and Orehime as she went. She held on to the straps of her backpack as she strolled to Urahara Shōten, listening to her iPod. Briefly in the background she heard an inhuman screaming and thundering footsteps but she shook her head. Emiko assumed it was just her imagination. I mean, you always think you hear something when you've got your headphones in.

* * *

"Ahhh Mari-San, working hard or harley working?" Urahara chimed in as he leisurely strolled around the shop.

"Hey boss. There's not a lot to do today. I took stock and ordered what we were missing. There were a few discontinued products though," Emiko pulled out a white piece of paper from under the register. "Here, I made a list."

"Arigatou Mari-San, the store has never been more organised." Urahara waved his fan affectionately and walked away, Emiko bowing her head at the compliment. At six thirty Emiko was dismissed for the day and she walked home.

'_Yuzu wants you over for dinner again. You free tonight at 7?' _Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she received the text from Ichigo.

_'Sure :)'_ Emiko texted back and hurried to get to the clinic on time.

"Hey Karin-chan!" Emiko grinned as Ichigo's younger sister opened the door.

"Oh hey Em-chan, come in." Karin jerked her head in the direction of the stairs and stepped back from the door to allow her to come inside.

Her chair was still at the dinner table from the pervious night and she smiled. It was more than likely they just hadn't gotten around to moving it with their busy lives but it made Emiko feel at home. Like she was welcome at the Kurosaki residence. Everything about the place was warm and comforting, granted it was a little queer too. How many parents do you know that leap down a flight of stairs and greet their teenage son with a kick to the face?

"Hey Emiko, how are you going with that English assignment?"

"Great! I love Shakespeare, how are you finding it?"

"You love Shakespeare, huh?" a light almost smile appearing on his face.

* * *

"Want to walk home together today?" Emiko asked Ichigo at the lockers. She was already wearing her combat boots and Ichigo was changing into his sneakers.

"Sure. I'd love to." Ichigo said with an almost smile.

'All that boy ever does is glare.' She thought to herself returning the gesture with a full smile.

"So what are you doing today after school?" Ichigo asked glancing at Emiko as they walked down the street towards their homes.

"My parents are visiting today. I have to go home and wait till five, then I just have to drive to the airport and pick them up."

"How are you going to do that?"

"With my car?"

"You have a car?" He asked astonished.

"Yeah. Uhm my parents bought it for me for homecoming. A silly school dance thing in America."

"Wow, your parents must be loaded."

"It's sort of an American right of passage. Emiko replied. "Stupid really." she sighed. "My father is a CEO of a major American and Japanese company so we move around a lot. Well we used too. Right now I live on my own and they check up on me every now and again. And when they aren't busy with work they're flying off someplace exotic and I'm left on my own."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Ah it's okay. It's not so bad. Plus it made it easier to go through my teenage rebellion phase."

"What?"

"You know, when you take more days of school faking sick and stay out past curfew." I laughed. "What about you, how was your teenage rebellion phase?"

"It was never really a rebellion phase. I just got into fights a lot. And was away from home a lot doing some things."

"Some things, huh?" She asked with an eyebrow raised. "It's okay." She put up a hand and laughed. "You don't have to tell me."

They walked in an understanding silence for a a while and then they reached Ichigo's house.

"Well this is your stop." Emiko said at the mailbox.

"Hey, I was wondering, you mind if I..."

"You?" she prompted.

"Never mind," he replied and turned around going inside.

"Alrighty then." She said to no one. Turning around and walking away Emiko went into her own home and got changed ready for the airport run later that evening.

* * *

"Konbanwa Kaasan. I've missed you so much." Emiko bowed to greet her. "Oyaji its good to see you." She bowed again as her parents came out of the terminal.

"Konbanwa." Her mother replied looking over her head.

"It's good to see you too, my love." Her father replied slightly warmer.

"Um I guess we should get going, do we need to collect your baggage?"

"Got it here already sweetheart." Her father explained patting his overnight duffle bag. Her mother took the chance to dump her large suitcase at Emiko's feet and still refuse to make eye contact with her.

"I love you too mother." Emiko muttered under her breath. She picked up the suitcase and wheeled it out to the elevator using the button to let them down into the car park.

* * *

"So this is the house you guys bought."

"It's quite small." her mother said unimpressed.

"I like it." Emiko replied.

"How are your studies?" Her mother asked continuing the tour of the house.

"Excellent." Emiko closed her bedroom door and lead them down the stairs to see one of the spare bedrooms she was using as a personal gym.

"Homework?"

"I haven't received any yet but I like to think I'm keeping in top of the stuff I have done."

"You should be asking for extra credit. You're not doing well enough in school." Her mother lectured.

Her father pulled her aside. "As the daughter of a CEO your expected to get good grades and go on to college. I understand it's hard but you have to try. We have to keep the family image." She nodded in response.

"I understand sir."

"We best be off." Emiko's mother interrupted sounding bored and disinterested.

"You're not staying?" She asked.

"Darling, you don't really expect us to stay, **_here_**, do you?"

"Uhm."

"We're from higher class of living. You may enjoy living in this, slum, but your father and I certainly won't be. We're staying in a five star hotel. Where we belong." Ouch.

There was a loud honk and her mother gestured to her suitcase before walking to the front door. "It's not going to shift itself, Emiko."

Her mother was a tall women not really showing her age. She had black hair loaded with product, unnatural caramel highlights and tied her wavy locks in a side ponytail. She wore heels, a tight pencil skirt made of black stretch material and then an over skirt of chiffon. A black lace top and a crop top underneath. She also wore a short, white fur coat. Typical rich woman garb.

Emiko's father was dressed in grey slacks, violet button up shirt, grey blazer and a silver and purple striped tie. He was a slim, built man in his forties with slightly greying hair and few wrinkles. He had the same colour eyes as she did but they were older and more tired looking.

"Of course Kaasan." Emiko pulled the luggage out to the taxi and lifted it in. Opening the cab door and shutting it for her. The car drove off and she saw the back of her parents for now.

She pulled out her phone.** 'It's late, I know. Sorry. You mind if I come over?' **She sent to Ichigo.

**'I'll come to you.'** Ichigo replied moments later. On her way in she noticed a figure shimmying down the drain pipe.

* * *

"So what's up?" Ichigo asked taking a sip of the hot chocolate Emiko had made him.

"My parents just left." She took a sip of her own and was shocked as it scolded her tongue.

"Didn't they just get here an hour ago?"

"Yeah but they were just checking up on me. They didn't quite like how 'lower class' my house it and opted to stay in a five star hotel. It's expected I guess." She said solemnly.

"Well, I like your house. It uh, has a lot of character?"

Emiko just laughed.

* * *

"Oh!" Emiko jolted awake.

"What!?" Ichigo jumped when he felt her move.

"It's five am."

"Congratulations, you can read a clock face."

"I'm supposed to get up now." She yawned. "I have to go for a run."

"No you don't. Go back to sleep. Take the day off your training. After last night you deserve to sleep in, you were up till 1am."

"Okay." Emiko yawned and nodded. Moments later she was asleep on Ichigo's shoulder. He half smiled and set an alarm for seven. He nodded off himself a while later.

* * *

"Uahhh what time is it?" Emiko groaned. Looking around she didn't see anyone else. She saw a note on the coffee table._ 'You didn't wake up when the alarm went off, I tried to get you up but you muttered something in your sleep and ignored me. You seem tired so sleep on, I'll make an excuse for you when I get to school, come in later if you feel like it, text me first.'_

Emiko smiled and stretched. She took a shower and lazed about on the couch eating some toast. Around three she grabbed her work apron and headed out with her phone, armband and headphones, keys and wallet. She locked the door and commuted to work.

"Hey there girl." A deep an masculine voice sounded from behind her.

"Hey there you fucking creep." Emiko replied.

"Wait, you can hear me?" The masculine voice questioned.

"Yes you loon, I can fucking see you as well."

"But, but I'm dead." He stuttered.

"Are you fucking craz-you, you're transparent. YOU'RE FUCKING TRANSPARENT. Holy shit. HOLY SHIT!" Emiko cried.

"So I am dead." The transparent man concluded.

"I'm afraid so." A third deeper and solemn voice confirmed.

"Who the fuck are you?" Emiko asked hysterically.

"I'm a shinigami." He replied. The man was dressed in black robes with white trimmings and had long red hair in a pony tail.

"Okay, either you're crazy or I am. And that doesn't answer my question."

"My name is Abari Renji. I'm a shinigami."

"A death god?"

"Kind of."

"Great. I'm going fucking crazy." Emiko pulled out her phone and speed dialled Urahara's shop.

"Moshi Moshi, Urahara Shōten, how can I help you?"

"Urahara? Yeah I'm going to be a little late to work today. Seems I'm going fucking crazy."

"What's that Mari-San?"

"Oh you know, I'm just freaking out, say did you know your cat talks? Yeah well aside from that there are transparent glowing people and apparently shinigami running around town and I'm going to go and bang my head against a wall for a little while."

"You know we have walls here."

"Oh you're so fucking helpful. 'You know we have walls here Mari-San.' Yeah fuck you boss." Emiko mocked.

"Mari-San."

"Fine, fine, I'm on my way." She hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket. She ran her hands through her hair and took a deep breath. "Okay. It's going to be okay. I bet this is all just a dream and I'm going to wake up at seven in the morning on the couch with Ichigo just like I was supposed to a few hours ago."

"Kurosaki?" The shinigami asked.

"You know him?"

"What? Uh never mind. You have to go to work."

"Yes and I'm going to take my orders from some shinigami impersonator I just met." Emiko replied sarcastically.

"Really? Great." Renji smirked before disappearing.


	3. Keeping her out of trouble

"Captain!"

"Lieutenant Abari, have I not specified enough that you must refrain from barging into my home and can knock on the front door like everyone else?"

"Ahh my apologies sir." Renji bowed.

"Your apology has been accepted." The stone faced noble responded waiting for the reason the red haired lieutenant barged in for. 'That substitute shinigami, Kurosaki's poor manners must have rubbed off on him' he mused.

"I met a girl in the world of the living."

"Abari..."

"Hear me out Captain, I found this hole but this human girl was talking to it and she was freaking out because she probably hadn't seen a hole before and I was like 'yes, you're dead' to the spirit and she was like 'who the fuck are you'," he explained.

"Renji.."

"And I was like 'I'm a shinigami' and she was like what? And I was like yeah I'm a shinigami and I performed a kunso on the hole and she was like whaaaat? And I was like yeah and she thought she was dreaming and she was going to wake up on the couch with Kurosaki and she works for Urahara and she had enormous Reiryok and it felt like I was standing in a room full of all the captains at once. It was really strong."

"I see." Byakuya pondered for a moment. "It will be mentioned at the next captain's meeting."

* * *

"Mari-San, you can go home for the day. Finish up that shelf before you do."

"Alright." She agreed with a nod. Urahara wasn't a bad boss. If you ignored the creepy candy store pervy pimp thing he had going.

"I'll send Yoruichi over with your schedule later."

"Alright." She nodded again focussing on organising the candy on the racks of Urahara Shōten.

* * *

"There you are. You're late to dinner you know, it's at 7 every night." Isshin said standing at the front door of his house and the Kurosaki Clinic.

"Um." Emiko replied. She was walking past in order to get to her own home but apparently she was going for dinner with the Kurosaki's. "Sorry?"

"Ah that's okay you didn't know. But you do now, so I expect you to be here at 7pm from now on." he opened the door and walked inside and Emiko laughed a little and followed him in.

"Em-chan, you made it." Yuzu said in her chipper voice.

"I guess I did." Emiko commented sitting in her seat I between where the Kurosaki males would sit.

"So how was work today Em-chan?" Yuzu asked spooning out some rice and some kind of beefy stew.

"Huh?" Emiko asked confused.

"You're still wearing your apron dingus." Karin replied.

"Oh, it was pretty alright. Spent the day cleaning and organising shelves. We don't get many customers. No idea how the place stays open."

"Well that's no good." Yuzu commented. "Karin-chan, you should get your soccer team to buy their candy from Urahara Shōten. I haven't been down there in a while. I wonder how Ururu is doing." Yuzu pondered that while eating her food and Ichigo came down the stairs.

"You're late!" Isshin cried swinging a kick to his face.

"Will you stop that?" Ichigo replied blocking the kick and sending his father into the wall with a loud bang. A billow of plaster dust flowed through the room and Isshin fell off the wall. "Nobody actually told me dinner was ready."

"Sorry Ichigo, we were waiting for Em-chan to get here."

"Hey Emiko." Ichigo said sitting down next to her and eating his food. Isshin crawled to his feet and joined them sitting in the other side of Emiko.

* * *

"Morning Ichigo." Emiko smiled as he opened his front door pretending he hadn't seen her shimmying down the drainpipe an hour and a half before.

"Morning Emiko." He replied opening the door wider and allowing her entrance.

"Yuzu-chan! Good to see you this morning."

"Good to see you too, Em-chan." Yuzu was as chipper as ever. She handed her her lunch with a smile and did a twirl in the kitchen taking out a floral pink water bottle and a plane black one. She tossed the black bottle to Karin and put the floral one in her blue book bag.

"Ready to go Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan?" Emiko asked with a large smile.

"Yeah whatever, when Yuzu is ready," Karin replied swinging a net bag with a soccer ball in it over her shoulder with her blue book bag.

"Just a moment Em-chan." Yuzu smiled buckling her book bag and kissing her father on the cheek. "Bye daddy."

"Bye my three darling daughters." Isshin all but sobbed.

"Three?" Emiko asked in a quiet, deep voice. Before she could figure out what he meant he dragged her, Yuzu and Karin into a large group hug.

"Get off me you old goat!" Karin cried punching him in the face. Yuzu hugged him and Emiko took herself from the hug but petted him on the shoulder.

"She'll come around eventually" Emiko said when the other girls had left. And walked out the door to meet Ichigo in the driveway. She closed the door and sashayed over to him.

* * *

"Iiiichiiigooooo-olk!" Keigo was interrupted in his usual cry by Ichigo's awaiting fist. Emiko gave Keigo a friendly slap on the back and went to go change shoes.

"Emiko-San!" Orehime called and waved from the shoe lockers.

"Em-San." Tatsuki nodded in her direction in a friendly mannour.

"Ohayou gozaimasu Tatsuki-San, Hime-San it's good to see you."

"Ohayou gozaimasu" Orehime bowed slightly while Tatsukie nodded again with an "Ohayou".

* * *

"Emiko-San, we have art after lunch, did you finish your assignment?" Orehime asked coming into Emiko, Ichigo and Keigo's classroom.

"I sure did." She replied pulling out her sketch book. "Here it is!" She said proudly flipping open to a coloured painting of a sleeping Ichigo in a bed with a nightstand next to him and an open window in the background with billowing curtains. In the left corner was shadow and a small lion shaped stuffed toy with an evil angry appearance.

"Wow! That's amazing, And you used Kurosaki-kun as your muse." Orehime beamed.

"Uh, yeah, he has interesting hair." She replied.

"Ahaha, that he certainly does." Tatsuki replied coming in through the classroom door. "You know he almost looks as innocent and as sweet as the little kid who's butt I kicked ever single time he fought me."

"Hahaha." Emiko giggled. "Every time?"

"Except the last time, once he finally won he never challenged me again."

"What? In case it was a fluke? We all know guys can't fight." Emiko and Tatsuki high fived and Keigo looked at her with utter disgust.

"We can too! Boys can fight twice as good as girls can." He bragged.

"What's that Asano?" Tatsuki asked.

"Care to put your money where your mouth is?" Emiko challenged.

"Alright I will" he said triumphantly.

Emiko waked over to the teacher's desk and kneeled on one side of it. "Prepare to get your but kicked." She replied. Keigo kneeled on the tiger side of the desk. They prepared themselves by putting one hand behind their backs and grabbing hands.

"No way, you're going down."

"On three! Tatsuki, you count." Emiko said.

"One, two, three!" She called waving her red tie down to start them.

Keigo had a hard concentrating face on veins pooping out as he fought her strong arm. Emiko simply smiled and slowly pushed his arm further and further down.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Mercy!" Keigo called.

"Mercy? What's that?" Emiko asked slamming his arm down on the table.

"Yay Emiko-San!" Orehime cheered along with the rest if the girls in the class and some of the boys. Ichigo half smiled and the rest of the class' male population folded their arms with a frown.

Emiko threw her arms in the air and spun on around on the spot. She cheered along with the rest of the girls until she turned to the window where she saw the red haired shinigami from the day before. She narrowed her eyes at him. Emiko jerked her head up towards the roof a few times before grabbing her lunch off the desk and walking over to Keigo and Orehime.

"Orehime why don't you take the free lunch Keigo is buying?" She suggested.

"Oh that's okay I already have lunch. It's left overs from the other day."

"No, no wasabi and honey ramen. You take that lunch." Emiko prodded.

"Okay if you insist." Orehime said with a smile not wanting to get into an argument with her new friend. Emiko left them there in the classroom and walked up the stairs to the roof.

* * *

"What's up?" The red haired shinigami asked trying to break the ice.

"What do you want Renji?" Emiko said eyes narrowed.

"Cut to the chase huh? Alright I told my captain about you. He told me to observe you and keep you out of trouble." Renji explained.

"Out of trouble?"

"You haven't seen a hollow yet have you?" He asked in answer to her question.

"No, what the fuck is that?"

Interrupting her was a huge pained roar followed by ground shaking stomps in their direction. Out of the dusty mist Emiko saw to her terror an enormous beast green and black looking like a giant insect. It had a hole where it's heart should be and a white mask covering his face.

Leaping up Renji drew his sword and slashed the creature in half from the centre of its mask.

"I'm guessing that was it." Emiko voiced her thoughts aloud as Renji's feet hit the ground.

"Yep. Keep in touch, stay out of trouble, I'll be watching." Renji listed before he leapt into the sky and ran off.


End file.
